Switch for storage batteries.



No. 842,405. EATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

s. A. LEONARD. `SWITCH EOE sToEAGE BATTERIES.

AP-PLIOATION FILED IAY 14,1906.

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ATTORNEY.

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WIN/53555:' i I UNITED sfrarns PATENT OFFICE.

VSETE-"A,LENARD, OF CLEVELAND, GHIO.

ySWITCti FOR STORAGE BATTERIES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 29,-1907.

Application filed May 14, 1905. Serial No. 316,705.

T all whom, t may concern;

` .-Be it known that I, SETI-i ALEONARD, a citizen ofthe United States, `Vresiding at Cleveland, in the county oi Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful-Improvements in Switches Afor Storage Batteries; and I do declare that the following isa full, clear, and eXact description of the inventionp Whichnwill enable others skilled in the ,art lto-yvhich it appertains to make and use tthefsaine.

fMy invention relates to improvements in switchesfor storage batteries; and the invention consists in the construction and combination oi parts, substantially as shown and described, andparticularly pointed out in the clainis.

In the `accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the switch g and Fig. 2 is a horizontal plan view thereof on line fc a1, Figli, looking down. g tion of the switch opposite to that shown in Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a -cross-section on line 'y y, Fig. 1, looking to the left.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic vieuT illustrating the two side plates of the switch separately and the electrical connections therewith, and to which they run, as hereinafter fully described.

As thus shown, the switch comprises a suitable supporting-.traine A, which is provided with details of construction here and there,

adapted to attach or guide or otherwise sustain and carry the working parts oi or an assembled structure rigidly erected and of any suitable rnateriahbut usually of cast metal. lt will therefore be assumed that instal is used in. this instance. Mounted upon opposite sides olithis lraine are the sliding plates C and D, running in grooves or on suitable ledges which holdsaid plates in sliding Plate C, which is the main current-controlling plate,

relation lengthwise of the iranie.

has a rack c at its top and end, which iseugaged by a toothed segment 2 on lever E, adapted to control the position of said. plate, and plate D, -Which is the current-.reversing plate, is controlled by lever F, which has an that-when either plate is partly thrown- Fig is a side eleva-l the switch, and said frame may be an integral g from its initial positions of rest` the other is locked for the time and prevented from being operated. 'To this end l employ alocking device or lever 5, Fig. 4, pivoted on an upright portion of niain i'raine A and constructed below its pivot at its engaging point With such width that it will necessarily engage one plate or the other and that the release can only occur at a tiine when both plates are out of current connection, To this end reversing-plate D has notches 6 in its edge, and plate C has an inner shoulder 7 opposite said notches, which when engaged against the corresponding edge of the lock forces it across into the notch 6 opposite; but When the said. plate C is carried back out of current connections (position Fig. l) and shoulder 7 is withdrawn from opposite lock or lever 5 the spring S, bearing against the upper end of said lock-5, throws the lock out of engagen'ient in notch and against plate C. This releases platel, so that the current can be reversed, ii desired, and the niotor driven in the opposite direction; but, if not reversed, plate C is and rcniains free to be manipulated by its controlling-lever E as freely as if no such lock or stop were used. This gives the operator free and positive control over the current by two adjacent levers Within easy reach and effectively prevents the current from being reversed except when plate C is in the one position of rest, as shown.

All the conducting-'wires are arranged to niahe connections with the brushes or brushholders between the sides of the switch and plates C and D, and each side of the switch has two sets of brushes, upper and lower,

1 mounted, resi'n-ctively, on rods' G and J on the controlling side of the switch and L and N on the other or reversing side, and insulating-sleeves /t o on these rods separate the brush-holders mounted thereon.v These several rods are supported at their ends in brackets on the main frame, and springs l() are interposed between one end of said holders and the respective insulating strips or pieces M andi), so as to hold the brushes severally in contact on the respective contact or connecting plates carried by plates@ and D. All of said brushes and the holders therefor are alike in construetioi'i, and the brushes preferably consist or" laminar of copper strips adjustably iixed in the holders and are arranged to expose their inner ends to said contact-plates, 'the end of each strip being brought into contact relation, thereby dis- IIO tributing'the Contact and-minimizing the lre,- sistances'. Furthermore, the brusl-i-holders are carried on their supporting-'rod in such wayT that the brushes will wipe or engage ed ge.- wise with the contact-plates.`

Now on. the common or working side ol." the 'i switch 'show a series of three upper brushes 1.2 and corresponding lower brushes 13, supported by holders 14, and these Vswitches are adapted toengage, simultaneously on contact-plates 15, secured on insulating-backing lo of any suitablekind'iixed to plateC. ln sulating-sections-18 oll said backing are interposed rbetween contact-plates l5 and llush therewith, and end brushes if) and 20 on holders 2l are adapted to make contact lwith plate 22 beneath when the brushes l2 and lf3 are thrown out4 oi circuit and serve for making charging connections for' the battery when desired.

()n the opposite side for reversing the current the'holders 25, 26, and 27, respectively, at the top carry brushes 2S, 2S), and 30, and holders 31, 32, and 33 below carry brushes 34, 35, and 36, and said series oi" brushes above, and below. eontact'witl'i plates 37 and 258 above and below, 'resp'ectively` lhese brushes are so arranged that only the middle brushes of each series and one set ol the other brushes can .rest on said plates at the same time, and the current connections with said plates are such that opposite directioi'is of llow ol'A current and travel ol" the motel' are established according as said brushes are shifted .in pairs, 'lhuscin Fig. 3 brushes 3() and 36 are out ol the circuit aud the others are in. This, presumably, is the forward relation-of theparts. 'lo reverse and backthe machine, 29 and 35 would be thrown out ol' circuit onto the insillation.4() and the ma,- chine would be reversed. 'lhe exact lines oll connection between. these parts are clearly traceable in diagram, l4`ig. 5.

'lhe lnain operatiiig-plate C is provided with a series ol rounded scallops 42 at its bottom. and outer end., which are adapted to be engaged by a small roller 42 on a spring-su ported arm 44., and thus a distinct stop neclianism is provided for said plate adapted to accent eachparticular pull on level' ll as the current is being thrown in variously lor the purposes desired, andv said meclmnism is such as to distinctlj,r announce each stop to the. op-

erator through the touch on the handle., whilev it is so constructed that he can overcome the stop by another push, and so on, the roller dropping into another notch as this is doneI` and so on to the end of the stroke.

W hen the iparts are at rest, as shown in the several views, either oli the plates may be thrownforward by their respective lever con-- uections, and this position may be deemed the starting position, with all the circuitsA controlledl by the brushes and contact-plates on mam plate C as o'll, except a charging-eir- 4lf.) and 2() and contact=plate 22.)

cuit -for the batteries, (represi :i i ted by brushes l 'lhe lirst step forward of plate C, as defined by the second ol the series oil,"A notches i2 and by. roller 43, breaks the contact between lbrushes i9 and 2U-and mntact-platc 22 and bringsutll the other sets ol brushes into en.-

gagement with their respective contactplates to close various circuits, whereby the )atteries are placed in parallel through reu sistance to'the motor. 'lhe next step for ward of plate C cu ts out the circuit t or theresistanre, but' leaves the batteries in parallei, and the next step forwardestablishes a cir cuit placing the batteries in series. 0b viously'this arrangement of' circuits may be modified or extra brushes and contact-plates may b'e added to eut in. extra batteries, and l do not wish tolmit myselfto the specific number and arrangement ol brushes vand con tact`plates or the manner in which they are electrically connected in circuits, as shown,

It will be noted 'that rack c of plate C and I segment 2 of lever E have portions of their- Vteeth removed to provide clearance between them, whereby disengagement between the.

parts may be ellected and lever .E independ; ently operated without operating plate G.V 'lhis'arrangement makes it possible to operate suitable brake mechanism l'or the vehieie upon a continued movement of lever E witli-I out causing a vfurther outward movement of plate C.

i .ln switches for storage batteries, a suits able suppcrt'ing-irame, longitudinally-inov able plates mounted loppositely on;` 'saidvlrame, and brush and plate connectionsffor;

the current operatively related 'to plates.

2 .ln-a switch for storage batteries, a support-n r-l"1.'f'r`ne,#opposite slidable plates ontlie s i`. of 'the'l' rame and nieansfto operate said plates separately, contact and insulat` ing surfaces on saiiplates res `ectively, and upper and lower series of brushes supported on pivots at lright angles to'said plates.

1 3. In electrical switches, opposite longitudinal sl dable plates having contact and insulating surfaces upon ltheir outer sides and means to operate said plates independently, a series oi brushes at the top and another'series at the bottoni of each of' said ola'tes re spectivel'y, and said brushes forme of lamina: ol copper strips adapted to engage edgewise withsaid contact-suriaces:

4. .ln an electrical switch, a suitable support, opposite slidable plates thereon and means to operate said plates separately, and separate brushes for said plates, one of said plates adapted to throw in more or less current i'irogressively and the opposite plate adapted to reverse the current. y

5. ln a switch for storage batteries, a suitabie support, opposite plates upon the sides foe thereof independently operative, and a locking deviee`between said plates adapted to .hold one plate while the other is lree to be operated 6. .ln a switch for storage batteries, a suitable support, plates on opposite sides thereof adapted to be moved lengthwise and,separate actuating-levers therefor, `in. combination with a device between said plates to lock oineand leave the other 'tree-and operative., and said plates constructed to be engaged by said locking' device when out ot current cennections. i

7. The switch substantiallyT as described having a mainframe, opposite members slidablv mounted thereon, a separate lever for eac i member and a si nglle support wherein said levers are pivoted side by side, separate brushes and eontact- )lates for each member and means interposed between said n'mmbers adapted to automatically lock one oi" said members while the other member is unlocked and the current is open tlmreto.

S. ln a storage-battery switch, a suitable, suppprt, a contact-earryiug part on the side ther/eel slidable lengtlnvise and provided with a series ol" curved notches at its lower 4edge, a lever te operateisaidplate and a plv.n

oted spring-engaged arm and a roller thereon adapted to engage said notches and accent the steps in the movements of said plate.

9. ln switches for storage batteries, a support and a plate slidably mounted thereon, eontact-platesen said slidable plate, brushes on said support comprising a series of metal strips adapted to engage edgewise with said eontactpiates, and a lever for said plate hav 

